"Fine, I admit it. This is me." Arthur shrugged, looking at the photo. "What now?"
"It's good that you stopped denying it. Now that we got that out of the way. Our Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division supervises special beings on Earth, such as aliens and extraordinary humans like you and the Hulk. We are the Earth's first and last defense against the extraordinary," Nick Fury explained to Arthur.
"Can you tell me what happened to you? How did you gain superpowers?" Nick Fury asked.
"My powers are innate. I hail from the undersea kingdom of Atlantis," Arthur continued to mislead them.
"We've already investigated your background. You grew up in Iceland, and your father died in a shipwreck. If you were so capable and had these powers, why didn't you save him?" Nick Fury clearly didn't believe Arthur's claim.
"Well, I didn't have my powers at that time. It was during that shipwreck that I awakened them, which is why I survived," Arthur said, offering a half-truth.
"Alright, can you describe your powers?" Nick Fury pressed.
"I can breathe and move at supersonic speeds underwater. My body is also stronger and tougher than steel. My strength is comparable to that of the monster I fought," Arthur revealed a few details about his powers.
"We can confirm your powers through the video. We have a SHIELD program that we would like to invite you to join," Nick Fury said, producing a document and handing it to Arthur.
Arthur intently read it; it was indeed the Avengers Initiative.
"The Avengers Initiative is a plan I proposed to counter alien threats or special human threats. My intention is to assemble a team of powerful individuals like yourself, who possess extraordinary abilities, to form an action team capable of handling emergencies that ordinary folk can't," Nick Fury explained.
"Who else is on your list?" Arthur inquired.
"I apologize, but that's top-secret information that I cannot disclose at this time. I can only tell you that the Hulk, whom you've already encountered, is also on our recruitment list," Nick Fury replied.
"What would be my responsibilities if I joined? As you can see, I run a restaurant and don't have much free time," Arthur pointed out.
"We will only contact you when your assistance is required; otherwise, you're free to go about your daily life," Nick Fury assured him.
"Is there a salary?"
"...Of course. There's a monthly salary of $5,000, similar to that of a civil servant," Nick Fury stated.
"Okay, I have one last request!"
"What is it?"
"Could you change the name of your organization? It's so fucking long and I really don't like it," Arthur suggested.
"..."
And so, Arthur successfully joined the Strategic Homeland Intervention and Logistics Division, now known as S.H.I.E.L.D., a name suggested by Arthur himself.
Coulson drove Arthur to a building in lower Manhattan. "This is our S.H.I.E.L.D. office," Coulson said. Arthur found the building strangely familiar; it looked like the one from Captain America, the one with the elevator.
Arthur followed Coulson to the 25th-floor office, where Coulson handed him a form. "Please fill in your file information," he requested.
Arthur picked up the pen and began to fill it out.
"Alright, your information is top secret. Most people won't be able to access your file. This is your ID. Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D.," Coulson said, handing Arthur an identification card he fished out of a nearby machine.
Arthur took it, seeing the familiar S.H.I.E.L.D. logo. Upon opening it, he read: "Intern Agent of the Strategic Homeland Intervention and Logistics Division".
"Trainee agent?" Arthur asked Coulson, puzzled.
"Yes, you're currently a trainee agent because the Avengers project hasn't been launched yet, until then, you're simply a member of S.H.I.E.L.D," Coulson replied.
"Okay, a trainee agent it is," Arthur conceded.
"This is your mobile phone. We'll use it to notify you when we need you to come in. Please keep it with you." Arthur took the phone and slipped it into his pocket along with his ID.
"You may need to undergo a physical examination next. We'd like you to provide some blood samples to analyze your physical condition," Coulson ventured.
"I refuse!" Arthur didn't want S.H.I.E.L.D. to uncover too many of his secrets.
"My skin is unbreakable. Don't you remember what I told you," Arthur took out a knife and forcefully stabbed his arm. The knife tip instantly broke upon contact with his skin, leaving Arthur's arm completely unscathed.
"Understood!" Coulson could only nod helplessly.
"Alright, all formalities are complete. Let me drive you back." Coulson drove Arthur back to the restaurant.
Arthur lay on the sofa, playing with the certificate in his hand. "I didn't expect to join S.H.I.E.L.D. The next step is to wait for the plot to unfold," he mused.
Arthur had also asked Coulson for combat skill materials to improve his fighting techniques. Although he possessed immense power, his raw fighting skills were lacking. With his smaller physique, he couldn't simply rely on brute force like the Hulk.
Arthur returned to his ordinary routine: morning training, a visit to the restaurant at noon, and nightly absorption of energy from the seafoor.
He had even built a secret base at the bottom of the sea using a sunken ship. It contained various treasures he'd collected from the seafloor: antiques, gold coins, pearls, and precious jewelry. He had no use for these items himself; he wasn't short on money and had no interest in it. These could serve as small gifts for others.
Arthur lay on a coral bed in his underwater home, closing his eyes, slowly relaxing his mind and body as he absorbed the energy the sea offered.
Many colorful small fish swam joyfully around Arthur, as if playing hide-and-seek. Arthur felt that the energy he could absorb was diminishing, as though his body had reached its full capacity, and his nightly practice was having less and less effect.
Arthur felt confused. Had his body's energy capacity truly reached a reached its limit, or was the energy in this particular sea area no longer sufficient for his needs?
Arthur decided to explore other sea areas. His current physical state left him feeling helpless.
At the Atlantis restaurant, Arthur informed his staff that he would be leaving for a while and instructed them to take care of the business. Everyone nodded in agreement, reassuring him.
In the vast Atlantic Ocean, Arthur moved swiftly through the water. To him, the underwater world remained breathtakingly beautiful and vibrant.
Arthur continued heading towards the deep sea, determined to find the most unique area in the Atlantic Ocean: the Bermuda Triangle.
It was rumored that countless ships, aircraft, and even submarines had mysteriously vanished in this treacherous and mysterious region.
Arthur felt as though a mysterious force was calling him to this special area.
He simply swam towards the deepest part of the seabed. This region featured numerous abyssal trenches—bottomless and with a complex underwater environment, including many active volcanoes. Arthur could see magma boiling within the craters.
Arthur swam deeper and deeper. The surroundings became pitch black, devoid of light, yet to Arthur's eyes, it was as bright as day, and he moved forward rapidly.
However, Arthur, who was pressing forward, noticed the currents around him were changing. The deeper he went, the more turbulent the currents became, making it increasingly difficult for him to advance.
The surrounding ocean currents grew more and more turbulent, and the water pressure steadily increased. Arthur's forward speed became slower and slower. Suddenly, a colossal waterspout formed directly in front of him. The seawater converged from all directions towards the center, creating a massive vortex that sucked everything around it.
Arthur sensed something was wrong, turned, and tried to swim away, but he was too close to the whirlpool. The immense current pulled at him, and despite all his strength, Arthur could only move forward extremely slowly, inching away from the vortex.
But fate was not on his side; the whirlpool seemed to move towards Arthur, pulling him closer and closer. Facing the power of nature, Arthur was still unable to resist.
"It's over!" Arthur's vision faded to black. He felt his body being pulled by the seawater, and the world spun around him. Arthur was sucked into the maelstrom and lost consciousness.